Scientists call for ban on cod fishing

SCIENTISTS want to completely block cod fishing in the Irish Sea next year because they say stocks are dangerously low and are not showing any signs of recovery.

But fishermen have dismissed the report, calling it illogical and completely unhelpful both to the fish and to the industry.

The full report will be issued on Friday by ICES, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and normally forms the basis of the European Commission’s plans for fishing quotas.

They will warn that cod stocks in particular in the North Sea, Irish Sea and west of Scotland are still depleted and will advise zero catch of cod in these areas for 2005. But in what should be good news they will say that the North Sea haddock stock is at its highest level for thirty years.

David Griffith, General Secretary of ICES said: “There is still no clear sign that cod stocks in these areas are making a recovery. It also seems that fishing effort on these stocks is still too high. A further problem that scientists face is substantial under-reporting of catches of cod which makes it difficult to get a true picture of the state of these stocks.”

However, the South and West Fish Producers Association reacted furiously to the latest ICES statement. General Manager Jason Whooley described it as very unhelpful and a political statement.

“Everyone acknowledges there is a problem with cod but that zero fishing is not practical and this kind of statement does the scientific community no favours with the fishing industry,” he said.

The row last year was resolved by allowing fishermen a maximum of 22 days a month fishing cod, but Mr Whooley said that because fishermen could aggregate the days, they could focus all their efforts into a limited period and target fish when they were most vulnerable.

Irish fishermen have pre- empted the Commission by introducing their own recovery plan for cod in the Celtic Sea which they say is helping the situation.

Fishermen believe that the reduction in cod stocks is a natural phenomenon not properly understood.

ICES will also recommend zero hake catch in southern Biscay, a 55% reduction in plaice fishing and a 40% reduction of sand eel in the North Sea.